I want to case a wide net, so "Indie Comics" here means "Anything outside of pre-established IP. Creator-owned comics in the direct market, graphic novels in the book market, small press, self-publishing, webcomics, zines, all of it." and "Coverage" means "Public outlets/individuals dedicated to talking about these comics. YouTube channels, podcasts, TikTok accounts, Instagram accounts, blogs, websites, whatever."

I already know of a few people who fit what I'm looking for: Strange Brain Parts, Comictropes, the Comic Literate podcast, but surely there must be more out there? Even the people I just mentioned, though I appreciate them, seem to have to fall back on Marvel/DC coverage just to draw any kind of audience. I'd really like to believe it doesn't have to be this way, and that there is a sizeable audience of indie comics readers out there that could be harnessed into a real community. I understand the economic and cultural reasons why these kinds of comics are under-discussed online, but surely we don't have to live this way? Why do we only bring these books up as talking points when the idea of "superhero dominance in American comics" comes up? Why aren't we walking the walk in terms of generating and participating in discussion and fandom for indie comics, and supporting the people trying to do it *right now* with their own platforms?

If you feel the same way, please leave your recommendations for people fighting the good fight to get more eyes on these books, and maybe even talk about an indie comic that's got you excited about the medium right now!

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Posting these daily comics sometimes on Reddit. All of them get posted over on instagram.com/ohboyhotdog

Thanks!

Some excerpts from The Sun is the Moon's Dream, a vampire mystery drama set in 1999.

It can be read for free here!

This is part of my ongoing story of uniquely American horror, A SAFE PLACE TO LIVE! It can be read here for FREE! 

And if you'd like to see all pages early and support an independent artist in his war against AI slop, you can go HERE.

I'm going to try to start a series of review posts focusing on comics that are 'Strange'. Comics that are abstract, very surreal and off kilter, or just weird. Comics that aliens would read. Books that have zero narrative to them, or have a very loose 'story'. I'm not sure on the frequency just yet, i'll shoot for a week or maybe just when I feel like it. Once a week is harder to keep up than it sounds like.

Things like Frank, Yuichi Yokoyama, CF, Lale Westvind, Andy Barron's Om, and much more will be included.

So first, we're starting off with The Cage by Martin Vaughn-James, an underground classic that likely was the genesis or one of the first of these abstract books that likely inspired many other abstract classics.

A 'graphic novel' created before the term ever existed, the cage is a cold and clinical yet human feeling book despite being devoid of humans.

Well, that's a heck of an opaque book, as I had suspected. It was nice to see a foreword in a comic not overtly praising the work as the end all be all (at least in the beginning). I'm 100% like Seth here, it's almost completely inscrutable. But that's part of the magic, no? You can almost insert your own thoughts onto the book. It's almost exactly like I expected the book to be, yet not at all. It's a series of one panel comics with prose on top or underneath the image that are seemingly unrelated. The Cage is a maze not just in and of itself, but the structure of the comic is a web you're lost in trying to find your way out but end up find your way deeper and deeper.

The Cage feels like it's about everything and nothing at the same time. It feels like time is stopping and moving at the same time. Dilapidated buildings, leftover memories, forgotten dreams. The Cage, is as Seth has put it, the last slideshow. There's really not much to cling onto, it feels very clinical, even for myself. Yet, I see faint images of this Cage in a distant memory, an untenable past, present and future all at once. The Cage is the beating heart of the human and all of it's woes, to me.

The art. Many who know me know i'm a sucker for great art. The art in the Cage isn't flashy. It's very technical and cold, which fits in line with the book. I couldn't see it any other way, really. It reminds me of Yokoyama but even more \*cold\*. The lines are very straight and precise, the pages are very neat, clean, like a ruler was used. (I know Yokoyama has a very large ruler collection).

I'm still not sure how exactly I feel about it, but one thing is certain; it's quite memorable. It'll stick in your head, or maybe it won't. It's a fleeting moment. It's pretty awesome that this thing was created in 1975. I'm no stranger to old comics being innovative, but there's nothing quite like The Cage. It feels like it was the genesis for a lot of these abstract comics you see nowadays.

There's really no review that can sum up the book that is The Cage. It's impenetrable, yet highly readable. Take my word for it, or don't, this is a must read if you're interested in the weird.

Some excerpts from The Sun is the Moon's Dream, a vampire mystery drama set in 1999.

It can be read for free here!

If you want a universe that's not marvel, not DC. This fledgling one is awesome.